Precious Things by SLynn
Spoilers: Up to 'Nesting Dolls'
Rating: R for violence and disturbing content.
Disclaimer: Not mine – well, some are mine, just not the ones you recognize.
These precious things
Let them bleed
Let them wash away
These precious things let them break
Their hold over me
'Precious Things' by Tori Amos
Chapter 27: Linger
"I hope you're not on the clock."
Greg jumped at the sound of the voice, startled from his sleep and nearly falling to the floor.
"Sorry," Sofia said with a giggle rarely heard, "I didn't mean to scare you."
"No," Greg said straightening up and rearranging the various reports and files he'd managed to scatter around the table, "I'm not…I'm fine. I was just catching up on some research."
"By what," she said joining him at the table, "osmosis?"
"Something like that," he answered with a small smile.
"Didn't you work last night?" she asked as she shuffled files with him, "Greg, it's nearly three. You should be home."
"No, I only worked half a night last night. I'm fine. Besides, these aren't going to read themselves."
"Not with you sleeping on them," Sofia returned still smiling at him, "Seriously though, you need to rest. You look beat. Just sign them out and take them home."
"No," Greg said shaking his head and looking down, looking for a way out of this conversation, "I'm almost…"
Greg's new cell phone rang giving him an instant excuse.
After leaving the house he'd driven around aimlessly for an hour. He couldn't go to either Nick or Amy's because he didn't know which place they'd be at today and he didn't want to answer a bunch of awkward questions. Betty, while nice enough to take him last night, was not an option either since she'd nearly talked his ear off the entire time he had stayed with her. If the circumstances had been different he'd of gone to Catherine's, but given their fight not too long ago he didn't want to risk it. And Warrick, while Greg knew he wouldn't ask questions or pry, would probably call Sara or worse Grissom and that was the last thing he wanted.
So without anywhere to go, it being too early to check into a hotel, Greg had first gone and bought a new phone to replace his broken one and then headed to the lab. And that's where he'd spent the day.
Greg excused himself as he picked the phone up and walked across the room.
"Greg Sanders."
"Greg," Nick's voice came on the line. Greg held his breath wondering if Sara had called him. "Brass called. Those fibers matched the carpet in the house. He's bringing in the counselor for questioning. How soon can you make it down here?"
"To the station?" Greg asked not sure where here meant.
"No the lab," Nick answered, "I thought we could go over the reports…"
Nick's voice stopped as he'd rounded the corner into the conference room and came face to face with Greg. Greg just gave him a smile and folded up his phone. Nick did the same and looked at him oddly.
"What are you doing here?"
"Burning out," Sofia answered for him and Greg shook his head. This was exactly what he didn't need right now.
"Catching up," Greg countered and Nick nodded but was still giving him that look.
At times Greg thought he should have it trademarked. Nick had perfected the art of letting people know he knew that they were keeping something from him without having to say a word.
"Isn't that what you wore yesterday? I thought you went home?"
Greg pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger as he shook his head. He really didn't need this now.
"I did, I came back. I was going to shower and change but just forgot. Is Brass waiting on us or do I have time for that?"
"No, we've got time," Nick answered and he was starting to look worried. Greg's tone had been curt and he was hardly ever that, only when something seriously bothered him. "Just don't take too long."
Greg didn't say any more just headed for the locker room. He didn't take long and they were able to meet Brass in just under half an hour.
At the station they met with Brass and Charlie Sullivan. Brass gave them both the once over, he always did, but his gaze lingered on Greg longest. Greg knew what he looked like, he'd seen himself in the mirror. Week after week of little to no sleep was catching up with him in a hurry, not to mention that the only sleep he'd gotten today was on the table in the conference room.
"She's already inside with her lawyer," Brass said indicating the door. "Sullivan, why don't you and Sanders watch this one behind the glass."
"No," Nick said before Greg got the chance, "Greg's coming in on this one. He knows more about this case then I do. If you want one of us to wait outside, I will."
Brass just shrugged and motioned the two of them to the door.
The three of them went inside, Sullivan opting not to push his luck with Brass and heading off to the adjoining room. Greg sat down opposite Ms. Blanchard and Nick just next to him. Brass chose to stand just behind them and quickly introduced the two CSIs to the only face they didn't know, the lawyer John Remus.
"I'd just like to state that my client is here of her own free will and is ready to do what she can to help your investigation."
"Well she can start by telling us where her brother is," Brass said evenly.
"I don't know," Anne said evenly. "David hasn't been a part of my life in a long time."
"Since he attacked you," Brass supplied and she gave him a short nod.
"Why didn't you tell us then that it was your brother?" he continued, "That you knew your attacker?"
"You don't have to answer that," her lawyer said with a shake of his head.
"No," she said firmly, "I do. Have you ever been assaulted Detective Brass? Do you have any idea what that's like? No, you don't. I can see it. But try and imagine it. Just try. And now imagine it's someone you know. Not just know, someone you grew up with. Loved even. Now you tell me why I didn't say anything."
The change in her voice was disconcerting. All the times they'd spoken with her she'd never shown much emotion, but now she seemed a wreck. It was only for a moment and soon under control again. This woman's whole life seemed to be about control.
"You see, you say you haven't seen him," Brass continued not impressed, "but I'm finding that hard to believe."
"Believe what you like," she said smoothly.
"Well, I'll tell you what I believe," Nick said shuffling the papers till the report he needed was on top, "I believe that we found hair samples from your trash that prove you have."
"Those hairs prove he was in the house," her lawyer said shaking his head, "they got you that search warrant but they don't prove that my client has had contact with Mr. Bosworth."
"Oh so he's breaking into her house now?" Brass questioned incredulously, "Is that it?"
"You can't expect Ms. Blanchard to explain someone else's actions can you?" Mr. Remus countered.
Brass gave him a tight smile and nodded.
"So did Cynthia Haas and Taylor Sinclair break into your house too?" Greg asked.
Brass put his hand down on the back of Greg's chair and tapped him once on the back with his index finger. It was a gentle reminder given in part because of the tone of Greg's voice. Angry. He was so obviously angry that Brass who was behind him could tell it. Brass liked Greg, thought he was smart and did good work, but probably a little too involved in this case.
Greg seemed to have caught it because when he spoke next he sounded more like himself.
"Both the victims had fibers on their clothes that matched the carpet from your house. Care to explain that?"
"I was their guidance counselor," she offered. "They'd been to my house before."
"You never mentioned that," Nick said as evenly as he could manage.
He understood Greg's anger. This woman was clearly lying, they just had no way to prove it. Not yet.
"Ashley Cooper too?" Greg asked looking her straight in the eye and she flinched. "Was she in your house?"
"It's possible," she said after a heavy pause.
"Is this all you have?" her lawyer once more intervened, "Because if you don't have anything that puts my client directly at the crime scene then I'm going to have to stop this interrogation."
"But we do," Brass said, "We think the crime scene was her house."
"But you have no proof of that," Mr. Remus contended, "You went through the house yourself and found nothing more then carpet fibers. I'm sorry gentlemen but we're done."
He and Ms. Blanchard stood at once and were soon out of the room.
Charlie joined them a few minutes later and sat down opposite Greg and Nick shaking his head.
"She's lying," Greg finally said voicing their shared opinion.
"But the lawyer's right," Nick said immediately after, "we don't have anything that actually puts her with the girls at the time of their deaths. It wasn't her DNA on those bodies. We didn't even find any traces of the girls at her house."
"So what do we do now?" Charlie asked looking at each of them in turn.
"We go back to step one," Brass answered.
Greg spent the rest of his afternoon and evening doing just that. Nick as well. They returned to the lab and poured back through all the case files they had, all the evidence, just about anything they could two or three times each but still had nothing.
At around eight that night Nick's phone rang and he picked it up with a smile after looking at the ID screen.
"Hi sweetie," he said standing up and moving away from the table.
Greg tried not to roll his eyes and just kept reading the report in front of him. Normally terms of endearment didn't bother him, he usually found them amusing, but today wasn't the day for that. Not with things being so strained between him and Sara.
It took a few minutes for Greg to realize that Nick was saying his name.
"What?" he asked finally looking up at Nick.
Nick looked at him oddly as if he could see what was wrong with him, or at least that's how it appeared to Greg.
"Do you want to come to dinner with Amy and me?" Nick asked again.
"No, not tonight," Greg said shaking his head, "I'll grab something later from down the street."
"You're not going home?"
"Too far," Greg lied looking down again at the report hoping Nick would drop it.
Nick stared at him for a minute more before shaking his head.
"Okay," he finally said making the word sound like a sigh, "We can bring you something back."
"Don't worry about it, but thanks."
Nick smiled tightly and then made his way out of the room.
Greg sighed now himself and put his head into his hands.
The day just seemed so long. It had been too long since he'd really slept and tonight he'd have to pretend things weren't awkward and unfinished between Sara and him. It was just so bad.
He hadn't allowed himself to think about it much today. Just tried to keep working, keep moving but now he didn't have that distraction. The files were obviously yielding nothing and now without Nick around to keep him focused the wheels in his head began to churn again.
And Greg didn't know what to do.
He loved Sara. Loved her more then anyone or anything else in his life. But really, what else was he supposed to do? They couldn't go on like this. She couldn't keep not telling him things. Leaving him in the dark. He'd tried to open up to her, had as much as possible. It was her turn. He thought by now he'd of earned that right at least.
Or maybe he was just wrong.
Maybe Sara didn't trust him enough and that was what held her back. Love him enough. It wouldn't be the first time he'd been wrong like that. Greg seemed to excel in that area.
All the doubt he'd harbored before resurfaced twice as strong. Doubts about her affection, her intentions, the true meaning of all her words. Doubts he thought were long gone and buried.
Running his hands over his face and standing up to stretch Greg tried to shake it off but couldn't do it.
It lingered.
Turning towards the door he froze. He'd hoped for more time. For a better place then this. For himself to be calmer, not as angry still. Not as doubtful.
He'd wanted and hoped for all of this before seeing her again but didn't get it.
Sara was there, before him now, leaning into the doorway unspeaking.
For a moment neither of them spoke, they just stared, but someone had to say something. Do something. They couldn't go on like this forever.
So swallowing more then a small part of his pride and trying to force down the ache in his stomach, Greg made the first step. The first move.
"Hi."
